Sensitive relay



May 28, 1957 B. s. BENGTssoN 2,794,092

SENSITIVE RELAY Y INVENTOR. 5597/1. J 35A/67550# ,4 TTOE/VEX May 28, 1957 B. s. BENGTssoN 2,794,092

SENSITIVE RELAY Filed NOV. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

5159771. S. E/VQ" 7550A/ TTOQ/VEX United States Patent O SENSITIVE RELAY Bertil S. Bengtsson, Plantsville, Conn., assigner to The Five Star Company, Inc., Plantsville, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 12, 1953, Serial No. 391,482

S Claims. (Cl. 200-98) This invention relates to relays, and more particularly to an extra sensitive relay, the armature of which will move with the minimum electrical energy input.

The object of the present invention is to provide la device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, and very eilicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 represents a front elevational view, partly in section, showing the improved sensitive relay.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of same.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the sensitive armature, and the U-shaped wire hinge upon which it is pivotally mounted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the U-shaped bracket in which the armature is adjustably hinged.

Fig. 5 is a schematic drawing showing the magnetic circuits of the relay.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the hexagonal cup-shaped housing for surrounding the sensitive relay with an evacuated atmosphere, whenever desired.

yReferring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1t) indicates a bottom hexagonal hollow terminal panel having a pair of depending threaded studs 11, 12 for mounting the relay upon a panel board, not shown. The panel is provided with a plurality of stepped sections 13, 14, 15, and provision is ymade of a small rectangular washer 16 located in contact with a bottom insulator 17 fitted within the hollow hexagonal panel 10.

Provision is also made of a pair of top and bottom yokes 18 an'd 18a which form part of the magnetic circuit of the relay. A pair of angular top and bottom pole pieces 19 and 19a are also provided, the vertical sections of which are spaced from an armature unit to be later described.

Provision is also fmade of two pairs of vertical noumagnetic spacer studs 20 land 21 having reduced lower ends 20a and 2in, headed over upon the washer 16.

The magnetic circuit includes a pair of iron cores 22 and 23 having reduced ends 22a and 23a headed over at 22h, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the dr-awing.

The cores 22 and 23 are surrounded by a pair of bobbins 24 and 25, preferably of plastic insulation, for supporting a pair of coiled magnet windings 26, which are energized by the input current applied to the relay. Located between the windings 26, provision is made of an armature unit consisting of a pair of rectangular sheet iron armature sections 27 having outwardly offset curved recesses 27a, said armature sections being secured together by four rivets 28.

The armature sections 27, which move together as a 2,794,092 Patented May 28, 1957 unit, are adapted to be mounted upon and supported by a resilient U-shaped wire hinge 29, having a pair of base sections 30, located within a pair of opposed horizontal `grooves 30a in said armatures 27, the hinge 29 also has a pair ot sides 31, 32, the upper ends of which are provided with short inturned ends 33, 34.

At the bottom of the wire hinge 29, provision is made of a depending loop which is adapted to fit Within the curved recesses 27a, previously mentioned. (See Fig. 3.)

The tops of the armature sections 27 `are provided with central ears 36, 37 having apertures 38, 39 for receiving a pair of headed silver contact points 40 and 41, the heads of which are rounded on their outer sides for engagement with the inner reduced ends 44, of a pair of gap-adjusting horizontal screws 42, 43 located at the upper end of the relay.

The outer ends of the screws 42, 43 are provided with screw driver slots 45a, for convenience in adjusting the width of the gap between the inner ends of the screws 42, 43.

Provision is also made of a pair of relay head blocks 48 having raised upper ends 48a, which are embraced by a pair of U-shaped strip spring clips 46, 47. The clips 46, 47 have convex bases 47a for engaging the raised ends 48a of the blocks 48. The legs of the clips 46, 47 trictionally engage the screws 42, 43 to prevent them from rotating.

In order to support the armature unit within the relay, provision is made of a U-shaped bracket 49 (Fig. 4) having a llat apertured top 50 and a pair of depending side legs S1 and 52 provided with V-shaped notches 53, 54 in the bottom ends thereof.

In each side leg 51, 52 of the bracket 49, provision is made of a curved arcuate row of apertures 55 for selectively receiving the short upper inturned ends 33, 34 of the U-shaped wire hinge 29.

The hollow panel 10 is also provided with eight depending terminals 56, which serve to connect the relay to the proper sockets in the panel board, and provision is also made of a key 57, and an exhaust tube 58 to evacuate the relay to any desired pressure, whenever desired.

It will be understood that the two windings 26 will be connected in series in such a manner that the top of each core 22, 23 is a pole of the same polarity. By means of this construction, it will be seen that the magnetic field created by the two electromagnets will pass across the air gap between the vertical section of the angular pole piece 19 and the upper part of the armature unit. It will then pass dow-n through the armature unit 'and across the air gap between the lower end of the armature section 27 and the upstanding section of the bottom angular pole piece 19a.

It will be understood that the magnetic eld will pass in a clockwise direction through the core 22 at the ylefthand portion of the relay, down through the armature section 27 completing a magnetic circuit through'the angular pole piece 19a. A right hand lmagnetic eld will pass counter-clockwise through the armature sections 27, up through the core 23, completing the circuit through the angular pole piece 19.

The armatures 27 are clamped as ya unit about the U- shaped wire hinge 29 by the four rivets 28, and the horizontal bottom sections 30 of said wire hinge 22 will rest in the V-shaped notches 53, 54 in the bottom of the legs of the bracket 49.

ICC

The loop 35 at the bottom of the wire hinge 29 is ernbraced by the curved olset recesses 27a of the armature The spring torque within lthe wire hinge 29 tends to move the armature unit away from the angular pole pieces 19, 19a counter-clockwise in opposition to the combined forces of the magnetic fields produced when the electro-magnets are energized by an electric current, whichy force the silver contact 41 clockwise againstl the at inner end 45 of the stationary screw 43.

'One advantage of the present sensitive relay construction, is that it will operate on very small currents, of the order of one milli-ampere for .closing the circuit of much larger capacity under severe vibratory and shock conditions.

`A further advantage is that the mechanical torque exerted by the armature spring hinge 29 may be easily adjusted merely by shifting the inturned ends 33, 34 into different apertures in the arcuate rows 55, whenever desired.

One end of each core 22, 23 is preferably loosely mounted so that the relay may be assembled with great easel and will eliminate any machining and working of the annealed parts of the magnetic circuits, which otherwise might atleet the magnetic properties thereof.

While there has been disclosed in this specification, one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be' understood that this form is shown for the punpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modiiied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modilications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

l. A sensi-tive electromagnetic relay comprising, a-n elongated magnetic core, an energization winding on said core, an angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against one end of said magnetic core and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallell with said core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket fixed against the other end of said magnetic core and having parallel side portions extending inwardly with respect to said core in planesv substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwardly-extending arm, a planar annrature perpendicularly located between the side portions of said U-shaped bracket, and resilient hinge means interconnecting and supporting said armature with respect to said u -shaped bracket to allow swinging movement of said armature to and away from said other planar arm of said angular magnetic member.

2. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising, an elongated magnetic core, an energization winding on said core, an angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against one end of said magnetic core and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel with said core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket iixed against the other end of said magnetic core and having a base portion and parallel side portions, said parallel side portions extending inwardly with respect to said core in planes substantially penpendicular with respect to said inwardly-extending arm, said base portion having an opening, a planar armature perpendicularly located between the side portions of said U-shaped bracket and having a contact `arm extending through the opening in said base portion, resilient hinge means interconnecting said armature and said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging movement of said armature to and away from said other planar arm of. said angular magnetic member, said hinge means normally holding said armature away from said other planar ann and being adapted to allow movement of said armature upon energization of said winding whereby said contact arm will be moved from one position to another.

3. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising an elongated magnetic core, an energization winding on said core, an angular magneticfmember having one planar arm fixed against one end of said magnetic core and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel with said core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket xed against the other end of said magnetic core and having parallel side portions extending inwardly with respect to said core in planes substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwardly-extending arm, a planar armature perpendicularly located between the side portions of said U-shaped bracket, and resilient hinge means interconnecting said anmature and said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging movement of said armature to and away from said other planar arm of said angular magnetic member, said hinge means comprising a pair or spaced, aligned notches in the ends of the side portions of said U-shaped bracket, a pair of opposed, aligned wire members extending outwardly of the side edges of said armature and seated in respective ends of said notches, a pair of resilient arcuate wire side members substantially perpendicular with respect to ari'd integral with oneeach of said wire side members, and adjustable means for securing the ends of said wire side members to said U-shaped member.

4. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising an elongated magnetic core, an energization winding on said core, an angular magnetic member having one planar arm lixed against one end of said magnetic core and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel with said core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket fixed against the other end of said magnetic core and having a base portion and parallel side portions, said side portions extending inwardly with respeot to said core in planes substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwand'ly-extending arm, said base portion having an opening, a planar armature perpendicularly located between the side portions ofV said U-shaped bracket and having a contact arm extending through said opening in said base portion, resilient hinge means inter-connecting said armature and' said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging movement of said armature to and away from said other planar armof said angular magnetic member, said hinge means normally holding said armature away from said other planar arm. and'being adapted to allow movement of said armature upon energization of said winding whereby saidV contact arm will be moved from one position to another, said hingev means comprising a pair of spaced, aligned notchesV in the ends of the side portions of said U-snaped bracket, a pair of opposed, aligned wire members extending outwardly or the side edges of said armature and' seated in respective ends of said notches, a pair of resilient arcuate wire side members substantially perpendicular withk respect to and integral with one each of said wire side members, and Aadjustable means for securing, the ends of said wire side members to said U-shaped member.

5. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising a pair of spaced parallel elongated magnetic cores, a pair of energization. windings, one on each of said cores, said windings beingV interconnected so that said cores are magnetized in the same direction, a irst angular magnetic member havingone planar arm xed. against one end of one of4 said' magnetic cores and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel with said pair ofY cores, a second angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against the end of the other of said magnetic cores opposite with respect to said one end of said irst-mentioned core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket fixed against the other end of said one magnetic core and the end of said other magnetic core to which the second angular magnetic member is fixed, said U-shaped bracket having parallel side portions cxtending inwardly with respect to said cores in planes substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwardlyextending arms, a planar armature perpendicularly disposedbetween-the side portions of said U-shaped bracket, and resilient hinge means interconnecting and supporting said armature with respect to said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging movement of said armature to and away from. said inwardly-extending planar arms of said tirst and second angular magnetic members.

6. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising, a pair of spaced parallel elongated magnetic cores, a pair of energization windings, one on each of said cores, said windings being interconnected so that said cores are magnetized in the same direction, a first angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against one end of one of said magnetic cores and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel with said pair of cores, a second angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against the end of the other of said magnetic cores opposite with respect to said one end of said first-mentioned core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket fixed against the other end ot said one magnetic core and the end of said other magnetic core to which the second angular magnetic member is fixed, said U- shaped bracket having a base portion and parallel side portions extending inwardly with respect to said cores in planes substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwardly-extending arms, said base portion having a central opening, a planar armature perpendicularly disposed between the side portions of said U-shaped bracket and having a contact arm extending through said opening in said base portion, resilient hinge means interconnecting said armature and said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging of said armature to and away from said inwardlyextending planar arms of said rst and second angular magnetic members, said hinge means normally holding said armature away from said inwardly extending planar arms and being adapted to allow movement of said armature upon energization of said winding whereby said contact arm will be moved from one position to another.

7. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising a pair of spaced parallel elongated magnetic cores, a pair of energization windings, one on each of said cores, said windings being interconnected so that said cores are magnetized in the same direction, a first angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against one end of one of said magnetic cores and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel With said pair of cores, a second angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against the end of the other of said magnetic cores opposite with respect to said one end of said first-mentioned core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket fixed against the other end of said one magnetic core and the end of said other magnetic core to which the second angular magnetic member is fixed, said U-shaped bracket having parallel side portions extending inwardly with respect to said cores in planes substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwardly-extending arms, a planar armature perpendicularly disposed between the side portions of said U-shaped bracket, and resilient hinge means interconnecting said armature and said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging movement of said armature to and away from said inwardly-extending planar arms of said first and second angular magnetic members, said hinge means comprising a pair of spaced, aligned notches in the ends of the side portions or said U-shaped bracket, a pair of opposed, aligned wire members extending outwardly of the side edges of said armature and seated in respective ends of said notches, a pair of resilient arcuate wire side members substantially perpendicular with respect to and integral with one each of said wire side members, and adjustable means for securing the ends of said wire side members to said U-shaped member.

8. A sensitive electromagnetic relay comprising a pair of spaced parallel elongated magnetic cores, a pair of energization windings, one on each of said cores, said windings being interconnected so that said cores are magnetized in the same direction, a first angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against one end of one of said magnetic cores and another planar arm extending inwardly and substantially parallel with said pair of cores, a second angular magnetic member having one planar arm fixed against the end of the other of said magnetic cores opposite with respect to said one end of said first-mentioned core, a U-shaped magnetic bracket fixed against the other end of said one magnetic core and the end of said other magnetic core to which the second angular magnetic member is fixed, said U-shaped bracket having a base portion and parallel side portions extending inwardly with respect to said cores in planes substantially perpendicular with respect to said inwardlyextending arms, said base portion having a central opening, a planar armature perpendicularly disposed between the side portions of said U-shaped bracket and having a contact arm extending through said opening in said base portion, resilient hinge means interconnecting said armature and said U-shaped bracket to allow swinging of said armature to and away from said inwardly-extending planar arms of said first and second angular magnetic members, said hinge means normally holding said armature away from said inwardly-extending planar arms and being adapted to allow movement of said armature upon energization of said winding whereby said contact arm will be moved from one position to another, said hinge means comprising a pair of spaced, aligned notches in the ends of the side portions of said U-shaped bracket, a pair of opposed, aligned wire members extending outwardly of the side edges of said armature and seated in respective ends of said notches, a pair of resilient arcuate wire side members substantially perpendicular with respect to and integral with one each of said wire side members, and adjustable means for securing the ends of said Wire side members to said U-shaped member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 544,236 Pohlman Aug. 6, 1895 1,085,810 Hoge Feb. 3, 1914r 1,534,753 Watson Apr. 2l, 1921 1,992,610 Gachet Feb. 26, 1935 2,140,139 Pratt Dec. 13, 1938 2,454,060 Hegy Nov. 16, 1948 2,524,874 Bean Gct. 10, 1950 2,580,123 Pfleger Dec. 25, 1951 2,664,478 Johansson Dec. 29, 1953 2,666,826 Bengtsson Jan. 19, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 579,729 France Aug. 11, 1924 

